An Alawite woman and her son and daughter were shot dead in Homs, Syria on 18 July.

Amna Qaeer, 39, her daughter Lujayn Khansa, 14, and her son Issa Khansa, 9, were on the balcony of their family home in the Al-Sabeel neighbourhood of Homs when masked men on a motorbike opened fire and fled the scene. The police are still investigating the incident.

CSW sources in Homs also report that another Alawite, Ibrahim Harmoush, was killed in his office in the city on 15 July.

Syria’s Alawite community comprises approximately ten percent of the population and resides primarily in the governorates of Hama, Latakia and Tartus. Although most Alawites were not affiliated with the former regime, the community has been viewed with hostility and suspicion in the wake of the HTS takeover due to its shared ethnoreligious identity with ousted President Assad.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW extends deep condolences to the families, loved ones and community of the victims. Attacks of a sectarian nature are utterly unacceptable, and these latest incidents, which targeted a young family and a businessman simply on account of their ethnoreligious identity, are particularly concerning in a city known for its religious diversity. We call on the Syrian authorities to take concrete steps to diffuse tensions and protect all citizens. We also urge the authorities to increase efforts to combat sectarianism and hate speech, while also prioritising reconciliation.’